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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 9, No. 6
Publication Date: June 25, 2022
DOI:10.14738/assrj.96.12365. Compaore, J. (2022). Role of Communication in the Process of a Better Awareness of Environmental and Health Risks Related to
the Use of Pesticides in Off-Season Vegetable Crops in Burkina Faso: Case of the Boulmiougou Dam in Arrondissement N°6, Urban
Commune from Ouagadougou / Burkina Faso. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(6). 133-143.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Role of Communication in the Process of a Better Awareness of
Environmental and Health Risks Related to the Use of Pesticides
in Off-Season Vegetable Crops in Burkina Faso: Case of the
Boulmiougou Dam in Arrondissement N°6, Urban Commune from
Ouagadougou / Burkina Faso
Dr. COMPAORE Jérôme
Research Master
CNRST-Institute of Environment and Agricultural
Research (INERA) 03 BP 7192 Ouagadougou 03
ABSTRACT
The cultivation of off-season crops is encouraged in Burkina Faso as part of its
development policy and also to address the food shortage experienced by the
country due to its Sahelian location with capricious rainy seasons. Thus, this activity
has been intensified around water reservoirs and marshy areas to overcome this
food shortage. However, market gardeners are faced with damage caused by pests,
which forces them to make extensive use of pesticides. The present study consisted
of a process of communication for behavioral change, to offer modern tools
(coaching, awareness) for the benefit of market gardeners in the commune of
Boulmiougou. This approach is part of a dynamic to familiarize them with good
knowledge of pesticides in their diversity, and especially their use in the required
scientific standards and in the preservation of our living environment.
Keywords: Market gardening, Communication, Behavior change, Information, Pesticides,
Boulmiougou.
SUMMARY
Off-season cultivation is encouraged in Burkina Faso as part of its action policy for development
and also to deal with the country's food shortage in view of its Sahelian position with capricious
rainy seasons. Thus, this activity has been intensified around water reservoirs and marshy
areas to overcome this food shortage. However, market gardeners face damage caused by pests,
which forces them to use pesticides on a massive scale. This study consisted, through a process
of communication for behavior change, in offering modern tools (supervision, awareness) for
the benefit of market gardeners in the commune of Boulmiougou. This approach is part of a
dynamic to familiarize them with good knowledge of pesticides in their diversity, and especially
of their use in the required scientific standards and in the preservation of our living
environment.
INTRODUCTION
Burkina Faso has signed several international and sub-regional decrees which led to the
establishment of a commission at the national level in the 2000s (this is the national
commission for the control of pesticides) under the supervision of the ministry in charge of
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agriculture. This commission was functional only in 2007, its mission is to communicate, inform
and raise awareness among the various actors, to examine and adopt preliminary drafts of
regulatory texts on pesticide control procedures, the development of a pesticide control and
inspection manual in Burkina. However, the technical structures in charge of these activities
have neither the material and financial means, nor the necessary political support.
Burkina Faso, like other developing countries, is facing exponential population growth with a
growth rate of 3.07% / year (INSD, 2020). This situation requires us to constantly fight against
food insecurity through agricultural programs and campaigns. Being in the Sahelian zone, off- season crops (market gardening) are increasingly favored to ensure food security for
populations. However, an intensification of agricultural activities implicitly calls for the use of
phytosanitary products in order to protect crops against pests and improve yields. This
explains the use of pesticides by all market gardeners for a better performance of agricultural
activities.
The use of phytosanitary products in the practice of market gardening on the edge of water
points raises possible concerns about the risk of pollution of water resources. Farmers use
products of which they are often unaware of the composition, toxicity, dosage, frequency of use
and instructions for use (Afrique Burkina, 2000). Poor agricultural practices therefore
predispose pesticide users to the risk of poisoning. An inventory of water pollution and health
risks associated with the use of pesticides, with the practice of market gardening in places with
high potential for market gardening activities would be welcome. Pesticides represent a real
danger to users in agricultural areas, consumers and the environment (Toe et al, 2002; Toe et
al, 2004). Hence the interest in evaluating the environmental and health risks associated with
the use of these phytosanitary products through a process of communication and behavior
change around small water reservoirs in the district of Boulmiougou, province Kadiogo, Center
region in Burkina Faso.
The specific objectives are: 1) the evaluation of the level of exposure of market gardeners to
phytosanitary products in particular, and of other users of these products, 2) the identification
of the pesticides used around the Boulmiougou site and in the various places of supply, 3) the
inventory of pesticide pollution, 4) determine the contribution of communication in its role of
education, monitoring and awareness among actors involved in the market gardening chain on
the our study site.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study site
The study was conducted around the Boulmiougou dam in the urban commune of
Ouagadougou, Kadiogo province, Center region. The survey took place in the market garden
perimeter of the dam selected on the basis of its agricultural performance attested by the
pressing needs of market gardening products in urban areas. A field visit made it possible to
retain him. The market gardening perimeter is located on the national road N01 at the western
exit of the city of Ouagadougou which connects the two big cities of Burkina, namely
Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso. The site therefore meets the conditions for observing the
socio-economic evolution of market gardening. The map below shows the study site.
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Compaore, J. (2022). Role of Communication in the Process of a Better Awareness of Environmental and Health Risks Related to the Use of Pesticides
in Off-Season Vegetable Crops in Burkina Faso: Case of the Boulmiougou Dam in Arrondissement N°6, Urban Commune from Ouagadougou /
Burkina Faso. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(6). 133-143.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.96.12365
Map n°1: Location of the study site in the geographical space of the capital
Tools and Methods
The study was carried out in February 2022 in Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, particularly in
the market gardening site of Boulmiougou on the western outskirts of the city. The choice of
this site makes it possible to read the social realities of urban agriculture, the health risks
associated with the use of pesticides, the economic contribution of market gardening activity
within households and communication strategies between actors in the market gardening
production chain.
The research work is based on an inductive qualitative approach. Also, the approach adopted
is intended to be descriptive, comprehensive and analytical. The bibliographical review focused
on the inventory of documents relating to market gardening activities and pesticides, in
particular those used in urban agriculture. It was carried out in particular online thanks to
bibliographic portals, bibliographic databases and specialized search engines.
Then, direct observations accompanied by free discussions were carried out with certain
producers at the level of the market gardening site. It was a question of appreciating the market
gardening activity as a whole, the use of pesticides in the field and the interactions between the
different actors. During these observations, images were taken for illustrative purposes.
Finally, in-depth individual interviews were conducted using the Kobotoolbox platform used to
design the online questionnaire and subsequently deployed on tablets or smartphones. This
allowed us to collect quantitative data with the ODK-Collect application installed on tablets or
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smartphones. The data was collected from market gardeners and retailers of market garden
products. To better understand and explain the health risks associated with the use of
pesticides around the Boulmiougou dam, interviews were conducted in February 2022 with 60
market gardeners representing 40% of the site's producers and retailers. The data collected
focused on knowledge of the health risks associated with the use of pesticides, the economic
contribution of market gardening activity within households and communication strategies
between actors in the market gardening production chain. And in a second step, it was a
question of taking water samples from the wells in our study site.
The data collected were analyzed in Excel and their processing was carried out according to the
variables noted in the field. Statistical parameters were calculated and used to construct
distribution histograms for each of the application practices analyzed.
RESULTS AND ANALYSIS
Identification of the pesticides used around the Boulmiougou site
The study reveals that the pesticides used by market gardeners are numerous, diverse and
varied. Despite the existence of laws and regulations, nothing is practically done on the ground
to ensure that pesticides are managed safely by market gardeners. Indeed, the products used
by market gardeners are toxic, often expired (Photo 1) and not approved. Supply is primarily
on the black market (60%) as shown in graph 1. The most used pesticides are, among others,
Leradan (50%), Furadan (35%), Attack (15%) and many others.
The producers in the site are either assignee owners or tenants and are foreigners. They have
been there for more than twenty years. Most producers are organized in groups in the
Boulmiougou site as elsewhere in other market gardening sites in the city of Ouagadougou.
Despite the existence of groups, it should be noted that the market gardeners of Boulmiougou
affirm that they have not received training on the safe management of these chemicals in their
market gardening activities.
The training received generally relates to knowledge of the technical itineraries of market
gardening. Market gardeners thus make decisions themselves to treat crops with the chemicals
they consider effective. In the event of advanced crop attack by insects, the doses are increased
at will or replaced by insecticides that market gardeners describe as "strong" and which are
often those of cotton, whereas, unlike cotton, market garden products are ingest. The
application of the different products in the perimeter is motivated by the neighborhood
according to the advertising made around this or that product. Producers are mostly unaware
of the type of chemicals on site. Thus, 80% of respondents use other pesticides whose names
they do not know and market gardeners treat their crops at any time of the day but most often
in the morning, gives graph n°1 below.
Photos 1 & 2: Sachets of chemical products after use